"Colonizer's outfit", yellow dress in Japan and more: the most scandalous images of the first ladies. Photo

First ladies are always in the spotlight. On the one hand, this gives them the right to send certain messages to the world through their images. Just as Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, does: she complements her dresses and suits with "eloquent" brooches. On the other hand, first ladies often get into public scandals: some people find their images too frank, some find them offensive, and some find them too progressive.

In the OBOZ.UA material, we have prepared a selection of outfits worn by the wives of heads of state that caused a public outcry. Sometimes they were really fashion mistakes, and sometimes they were biased criticism.

1. Jacqueline Kennedy

In July 1960, the future First Lady of the United States, Jacqueline Kennedy, together with her husband, American politician John F. Kennedy (later the 35th President of the United States), walked along the pier at the Hyannis Port Yacht Club in Massachusetts (USA). She was wearing a bright orange sweater with a cowl neck and pink capri pants.

Shortly afterward , writer and editor Martha Weinman in The New York Times called the first lady's bright outfit "something that may have enormous political significance." She added: "This fall, the issue of the president's wife's style could be a big issue: maybe it's too much chic, or not enough... It may well have an impact on votes." Obviously, the press representative was hinting that Jacqueline Kennedy chose bright clothes in order to be in the spotlight shortly before the presidential election and successfully take the place of the first lady.

2. Betty Ford

On January 19, 1977, in Washington, D.C., the wife of the 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford, First Lady Betty Ford, dressed in a suit and pants, danced on the desk in the Cabinet Room in the West Wing of the White House. She did so on her last full day in office before the swearing in of the new US President Jimmy Carter. What prompted her to do this and what does her outfit have to do with it?

Betty was an ardent supporter of the women's liberation movement of the 1970s. The author of the photo with the dance, photographer David Hume Kennerly, commented on the First Lady's quiet rebellion to the Smithsonian. According to him, "very few women have sat at this table." "I bet you could count them on one hand at that time, and knowing how much she supports the Equal Rights Amendment... She supported it. She tap danced in the middle of a male bastion. She stormed the walls in a gray suit," David added.

It should be noted that, according to the National Library of First Ladies, wearing pants in public (outside of vacations and sports activities) was considered unacceptable for presidential wives at the time. This is a legendary photo: the first time Mrs. Ford was photographed wearing a suit with pants instead of a dress.

3. Olena Zelenska

In 2019, the 6th President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska arrived in Japan for the enthronement ceremony of Emperor Naruhito. For the special event, the first lady chose a pale lemon-colored dress from the Ukrainian brand Frolov. At the time, uninformed social media users were outraged by this image, saying that according to an ancient tradition, this color could only be worn by members of the imperial family. Indeed, this rule was in effect in the eighth century, during the existence of the "rule of law". Today, it has no legal status.

After the flurry of criticism, former Elle magazine editor Roman Timofeev explained the context on the YouTube show "Buy a little bit of it": "The scandal was so powerful that even representatives of diplomatic institutions had to comment on it. They said that only one shade of yellow is the official color of the emperor's family in Japan (gardenia or yellow-red - Ed.), and that this ancient tradition is no longer in effect. The Japanese can wear yellow". He added that on the second day of her stay in Japan, Olena Zelenska put on a pale blue dress, and "it became clear what the idea was: two images are the flag of Ukraine."

4. Melania Trump

The wife of the 45th President of the United States Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, has repeatedly shocked the public with her images. For example, in 2017, the couple arrived in Corpus Christi, Texas, to support those affected by the most powerful category four hurricane in 13 years (Harvey). At that time, according to the Associated Press, at least 44 people died... The First Lady outraged the public by styling her bow with a cap with the immodest inscription FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States, which translates as "First Lady of the United States"). It was as if someone had forgotten her status.

Users of the social network X (formerly Twitter) did not pass by this fashion embarrassment. "Melania Trump is now thoughtfully wearing a hat that says FLOTUS so we know who she is," wrote Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy. And columnist Rex Hoopke decided to make a joke on this topic, adding a fake photo of what the back of the first lady's hat looks like (with the inscription "My life is a living hell please help"). "I'm surprised no one else noticed the back of Melania's FLOTUS hat," the post read.

Two more high-profile scandals took place in 2018. The first one was in June. Melania Trump visited immigrant children in Maryland (USA) wearing a Zara jacket with a huge inscription "I really don't care, do you?". The photo quickly spread on social media, and people criticized the questionable outfit. "Let's get one thing straight: Melania Trump didn't accidentally wear a $30 jacket on this trip that she happened to have next to all her other very expensive designer clothes. It was intentional, " shared his thoughts an activist with the nickname Deniz S.

Later, in an interview with ABC News , the first lady admitted that the words on her clothes had a specific message: "It was for the people and for the left-wing media who criticize me. I want to show them that I don't care. You can criticize all you want. But it's not going to stop me from doing what I feel."

In October 2018, Mrs. Trump visited an orphanage and a national reserve in Nairobi, Kenya. She was wearing a snow-white shirt, tight pants, boots, and a cork helmet (a symbol of colonial slavery worn by European explorers and imperial administrators in Africa and the Middle East in the 19th century).

Such ignorance and indifference to the colonial history of Africa outraged social media users. In particular, businesswoman and activist from Nairobi Pauline Mualo wrote on the social network X: "That cork helmet you wore was used by the colonizers in the dark days. We Africans don't like it. Who advised you?"

5. Brigitte Macron

Brigitte Macron, the wife of the 25th President of France Emmanuel Macron, is often criticized for her passion for mines. For example, in 2017, the first lady, who was 65 at the time, appeared at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit and the Royal Museum of Central Africa in a short black Louis Vuitton dress. At the time, the media criticized her image, calling it too daring, to which Mrs. Macron responded: "If you believe what I hear, women my age are very happy that I dress like this. I don't know why, but this habit of wearing a mini gives the impression of a free woman."

6. Queen Letizia

Queen Letizia of Spain, like Brigitte Macron, also likes to wear a mini. And while such fashion experiments are sometimes acceptable for the first lady of France, Her Majesty violates royal protocol. According to Royalista, "Queen Letizia is quite conservative in her choice of clothes, but occasionally wears short dresses - too short, if you ask some of the royal followers." One of her scandalous looks was in 2015 in Madrid, at the Luis Carandell Journalism Award. Back then, the wife of King Felipe VI of Spain visited the Senate Palace in a straight-cut mini-dress and a cardigan. A bold decision.

7. Queen Camilla

In April 2024, Queen Camilla, the second wife of Charles III, King of the United Kingdom, received four representatives from SafeLives, a charity organization that fights domestic violence, at Buckingham Palace. Her Majesty wore a modest black dress and leopard-print shirt by Fiona Clare. Social media users were puzzled by the Queen's image: some compared it to a school uniform, while others called it "too gloomy" and advised her to "change her style to a more modern one. "

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